Doyle Dilemma

I am going to be asked about players who are not involved but I will continue to make that assessment as we go along"

Kenny Jackett

Kenny Jackett admits he may yet consider using striker Kevin Doyle – despite the expectation he may be leaving Molineux – if he feels Wolves need him.

After successive relegations, Doyle is among a group of players whose contract terms are not in keeping with League One football, and Jackett admits he wasn’t expecting the popular frontman to remain at the club heading into the season.

There has been speculation about interest in Doyle, now fit again but without match action after a groin injury affected part of his pre-season, but in advance of any deal Jackett is not ruling out calling on the Irishman’s services.

“It’s probably a little bit of everything with Kevin,” says Jackett.

“He is not fully match fit but with the injuries now it will become an interesting one in terms of him coming in and being able to contribute.

“In terms of Kevin in general, his wages are too high for where we are and that is common knowledge.

“Between now and the end of the window there will be interest in him.

“But in the meantime he is not someone who I am necessarily going to close the door on if he is right and available for selection and the team need him.

“In summing up, he is not someone we will necessarily overlook but there is the situation where I haven’t been planning with him bhecause of the expectation that he will not be here.

“There was speculation about him and that seems to have gone a bit quiet.

“Coming into the club he is not a player I necessarily planned or thought would really be around and so I was focusing on other people.

“When you suddenly then pick up a few injuries you have to make sure you use all of your squad if needs be.”

In the wake of Saturday’s hard-fought opening day draw at Preston, Jackett also answered questions about Doyle, Tongo Doumbia and Georg Margreitter joining Roger Johnson, Jamie O’Hara and Stephen Ward in training away from the first team group in advance of the fixture.

He said he was keen to work with the 20 players he knew would be making the trip to Deepdale.

“The first team group trained the last couple of days before the game with 20 players who were travelling,” Jackett explained.

“That was the 20 and looks like it may be cut to 17 now (with injuries).

“Those players weren’t involved on Saturday or in the game at Chasetown on Friday night so they trained separately.

“We will see and assess what happens now when we get back in.

“It’s where the club is at that I am going to be asked about players who are not involved but I will continue to make that assessment as we go along.

“They are big name players and perhaps expensive players and that is part of the equation at present.”